Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Stop SOPA

No "New Food Wednesday" postings today; they'll be back next week (hopefully).

So by now, most of you have probably logged on to facebook or twitter and seen the mass of postings regarding the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). But what is it and what does it mean for us "casual" internet users?

SOPA (or House Bill 3261 as it's know in the U.S. House of Representatives) is intended to "promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and other purposes."

It's authors assert that the piracy of U.S. intellectual property is hindering the development of commercially viable and profitable ideas protected under a granted copyright.

Under current U.S. law, copyright holders are responsible for monitoring the use of their property and litigating when necessary to prevent the infringement of their copyrights.

If SOPA becomes law, this burden will fall to the websites/ internet services (i.e. Google and Facebook) that post content. A single lawsuit could cripple these sites, allowing a court to disallow such sites from access to U.S. networks.

The free exchange of information and ideas has changed the world. It started with the spoken word, grew with the invention of written language, flourished with the creation of the printing press, expanded with telecommunications...and then came the internet. The human element aside, the internet is the next evolutionary step of communication. It merges information, opinion, and visual images into a single, ongoing stream of consciousness.

For the food blogger, this may not seem too significant. But from my personal experience, I can tell you that any limits, and I mean ANY limits, placed on this free exchange of ideas would absolutely kill this and many other blogs. In fact, any site hosting a recipe or a picture of the finished product could face harsh scrutiny and even censorship. I think Thomas Jefferson's estate still holds a copyright on a version of Mac and Cheese (look out Kraft!).

Yes, Hollywood actors and inner city rappers need to buy their fourth house complete with stables and a butlers panty for the butlers pantry, but not at the expense of a free internet.

The internet has become the great equalizer in our society. With it everyone is equal. Through it everyone can easily have a voice and express their opinions. I acknowledge that as an American I really shouldn't be preaching on this subject, but do we really want to live in a society that values Hollywood dribble over the new ideas from small a town in Kansas, or a tiny hamlet in New Hampshire, or an independent food blogger in Alabama? I don't!

About the Author...

Bureaucrat by profession...Guest chef for family friends on the weekend by choice.
I'm just a guy who has always enjoyed food (sometimes too much). I hope you have as much fun reading about my culinary exploits as I enjoy writing about them!
"Beer is proof that God loves us and
wants us to be happy" -Benjamin Franklin (attrib.)